Find the feeling

I'm, currently on honeymoon in the Maldives. There's beautiful sunny weather, turquoise waters and....all inclusive!

Now it's great to be on holiday, enjoying time away from the daily grind. Waking up whenever you want and doing what you want whether its sightseeing or just lounging around.

The problem is it gets difficult to maintain your weight and eat healthy when you're on holiday. There's so much food available which you want to try, you want to indugle, you want to have a few drinks, you want to relax.

I get it. So do I. Admittedly, I've not been perfect on this holiday, or pretty much any holiday for that matter. I don't even know what perfect looks like. Is it only eating protein and vegetables? Is it one meal a day? Is it sticking to certain calorie restrictions? The fact is its up to the individual. There are no rules except the ones which the individual comes up with.

I don't have hard and fast rules that I stick to on holiday. There's no point. There's too many variables that can take place and I want to be able to enjoy the holiday.

I view regulating diet like a dimmer switch. When I'm trying to lose weight, I turn it down, when I'm trying to hold I'll turn it up to maintenance calories. When I'm on holiday I turn it up. However, I don't need to turn it to maximum.

It's up to you what level you want to turn it to and what level is acceptable for you. But how can we maintain some control when on holiday? It's all very well saying decide for yourself how much you should be eating and just don't go crazy, but how do you prevent yourself from going crazy?

It's about a feeling. The feeling of being in the groove. Identify that feeling and try to recreate it. When you're in the groove you know what it feels like. Before you go on holiday aim to hold that feeling. You don't have to do all the right things on holiday to maintain it, but try to hold the feeling. Even if when the holiday comes and you indulge, hold the feeling. By doing that you can maintain a greater level of control and regulate at a level you're quite happy with.

Here are some tips:

1. Remember your why - Why actually motivates you? Why are you trying to lose weight, get fit and stay healthy?

2. Remember your who - Think of the identity you are trying to create. This will help you to do as that person does which means regulate better.

3. Workout - This ties in with the others but it's one of the biggest things to help you regulate what you eat. Its an affirmation of the new identity, you feel better because of it and you're more like to regulate intake better. You don't even have to workout as much or with the same intensity as usual, just get out and do it.

In the end, make sure you enjoy your holiday whilst balancing other objectives. Finding the feeling can help.